Bending and clinching machine



July 9, 1929. s. L. LE ROYv ammo Aun cLINcnING MACHINE Filed sept. 2, 1927 s'sneets-sneet ln/venta L. eBay 7mm W Smm@ Fig July 9, 1929. a. L LE ROY 1.720.133

BENDING AND CLINCHING MACHINE Filed sept. 2, 1927 5 lsheets-sheet :l

)my 4 M @LL/ Patented July 9, 1929. i

UNITED STATES BERNARD L. LE ROY, OF HASSILIION,y OHIO.

BENDING lAND CLINCHING MACHIE.

Application led September 2, 1927. Serial No. 217,159.

The invention relates to machines for bending and clinching clips upon vehicle springs in order toclamp a plurality of spring leaves together.

The object of the invention is to provide a machine of this character arranged tobend the free ends of a clip over the top of a spring and clinch the same tightly upon the saine, clamping the seveial leaves of the spring together, all in a single continuous operation ofthe machine.

The above and other objects may be attained by constructing the machine in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation of the machine in the vnormal or initial position, parts being broken away for the purpose of illustration;

Fig. 2, is a side elevation of the machine in the normal position;

Fig. 3, is a fragmentary sectional view of the bending and clincliing apparatusshowing the parts iii an intermediate position with the ends of the clip bent and ready for clinching; and p Fig. 4, is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing the parts in the final position with the clip in the elinching or clamped position upon the spring leaves.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In carrying out the invention a bed or table 1 may be supported as by the side walls 2 and attached to the base 3 as by tie-bolts 4 or the like, preferably located at the coi'ners of the bed and base.

The bed 1 is provided with the central opening 5,' shouldered at its upper portion as at 6 within which is seated the anvil 7, provided with the reduced shank 8.

' `This anvil is provided in its upper face with .the central. socket 9 to accommodate the head of the rivet 10 by means of which the clip 11 is connected to the lower leaf 12 of the spring shown generally at 13.

The bending arms indicated generally at 14 are in the form of levers pivoted intermediate their ends as at 15 to a depending flange 17 rigidly connected to the bed in any suitable manner.

The removable die 18, may be preferably of angle shape and may be connected to the L- head 19 of each of the levers 14 as by a cap screw 20.

A roller 21 is journaled on the lower end of eating piston in the Huid or air each lever 14, and arranged to contact with the tapered cam 22 of the longitudinally movable plunger 23.

t Springs 24 may be interposed between the side walls 2 and the lever 14 to normally urge the rollers into Contact with the cam.

A reduced shank 25 is formed at the upper end of the plunger 23 above the cam 22 and arranged to contact with the shank of the anvil 7 when the plunger is raised as will be later described.

The plunger 23 is operated by a reciprocylinder 26 supported within the side walls upon the bed 1.

A valve indicated' generally at 27, controls the operation of this cylinder. The supply pipe 28 leads from a suitable source of supply to the valve and may be provided with a,

lubricator 29.

A pipe 30 leads from one side of the valve to the lower end of the fluid cylinder and a pipe 3l leads from the other side of the valve to the upper end of the cylinder While the valve exhausts through the outlet pipe 32.

The valve is arranged to be operated by means of a lever 33 operatively connected to the' valve and connected to the upper end of a link 34, the lower end of said link being connected to the free end of a treadle lever 35 as at 36, said lever being provided with a treadle 37, and being pivoted intermediate its ends, as at'35a.

A second treadle lever 38, is pivoted intermediate its ends at 39, and provided at its inner end with a slot 40, which receives the stud 41, upon the inner end portion of the lever 35.

A treadle 42 is carried atthe outer end. of the lever 38, and both treadles 37 and 42 are normally held in the raised, or inoperative position as by the spring 43.

In 'operating the machine to bend and clinch a clip upon a spring the spring with l the U-shaped clip attached thereto is placed upon tlie anvil With the parts in the initial position, as shown in Fig. 1.

Either of the treadles 37 or 42 may be depressed to operate the valve, admitting fluid under pressure from the supply pipe 28 through the valve and pipe 30 to the lower end of the cylinder.

As the plunger is driven upward the cam 22 will force the lower ends of the levers`14 apart bringing the bending die in the posi- A back to the full line position shown in Fig. 2,l

tion shown in Fig. 3, bending the free ends of the clip toward each other -as shown in said gure.

vFurther upward movement of the plunger will not change this position of the levers 14 as the straight parallel Sides of the cam 22 are then in engagement with the rollers 21, upon Atlie levers.

The bending dies will be held 1n this position while the further upward movement of the plunger causes the same to strike the shaft of the anvil raising the anvil in its socket and clinching the free ends of the clip downward over the top leaf of the spring, as indicated in Fig. 4.

As the pressure upon the treadle is released the spring 43 is operated to throw the treadle moving the valve to a position which causes the fluid under pressure from the pipe 28 to pass through the valve and pipe 31 to the upper end of the fluid cylinder, .forcing the plunger downward while the fluid from the lower end of the cylinder exhausts through the pipe 30, valve 27 and outlet pipe 32.

It will be understood that upon the upward movement of the plunger the Huid or air in the upper end of the cylinder exhausts through the pipe 31, valve 27 and outlet pipe 32.

From the above it will be obvious that with the improved apparatus .a clip may be bent around the leaves of the spring and clinched thereon in a single continuous operation, the free ends of the clip being bent evenly and uniformly toward each other and clinched tightly upon the top leaf of the spring, the parts of the machine automatically .returning to normal position and releasing the spring when pressure upon the treadle is released.

I claim:

1. An apparatus for bending and clinching clips upon springs and the like including a table, an anvil slidably mounted in the table, pivoted bending dies for bending ,t'he free ends of a clip over a spring and single means for first operating the bending dies for bending the free ends of the clip and then slidably moving the anvil to clinch the ends of the clip.

2. An apparatus for bending and clinching clips upon springs and the like including a table, an anvil slidably mounted in the table, L-shaped pivoted bending dies for bending the free ends of a clip over a spring and single". means for first operating the bending dies for bending the free ends of the clip and then slidably moving the anvil to clinch thc ends of the clip.

3. An apparatus for bending and clinching clips upon springs and the'like including a table, an anvil slidably mounted in the table, bending dies for bending the free ends of a clip over the spring, a longitudinally movable plunger for first operating the bending dies to bend the free ends of the clip and for then slidably moving the anvil to clinch the ends of the clip between the anvil and dies, and reciprocating means for operating the longitudinally movable means.

4. An apparatus for bending and. clinching clips upon springs and the like including a table, a-n anvil slidably mounted in the table, bending dies for bending the free ends of a clip over the spring, a longitudinally movable plunger, a shank on the plunger, and reciprocating means for moving the plunger whereby the cam faces engage the bending dies to bend the free ends of the clip and the shank engages the anvil to clinch the ends of the clip between the anvil and dies.

In testimony that I claim the above, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

BERNARD L. LE ROY. 

